Patent GB-759491-A (GB)
Title: Supersonic flying wing
IPC: B64C39/10
Filed: 1953-03-23
Abstract: 759,491. Aircraft. WAKEFIELD, G. H. March 23, 1953 [April 22, 1952], No. 7864/53. Class 4. An air inlet diffuser mechanism for aircraft comprises a pair of spaced elongated upper and lower diffuser members, said members being wedge-shaped in cross-section, each member having a wedge edge pointing in the forward direction of travel of the aircraft, bearings mounting said members to the leading edge of the aircraft wing, control means for adjusting the angular position of each diffuser member on said bearings, and an end plate mounted on each diffuser member and extending in overlapping relationship and in substantially vertical planes toward the other diffuser member. The aircraft comprises a supersonic wing 33 which houses retractable subsonic wing sections 40. Horizontal and vertical stabilizing surfaces 30 and 36 respectively are provided with elevators and rudders 38, 37. The wings 40 carry flaps, and crew and fuel compartments are housed within the wing 33 together with a power plant installation to be described. The leading edge of the wing 33 constitutes a variable area air intake 44 divided spanwise by partitions 62 and end plates 61 into sections leading to separate engines 41. Each section comprises a diffuser having upper and lower surfaces 1091 secured by structure 141 to the outer skin panels of the wing 33, the surfaces 109<SP>1</SP> and the wing panels being shaped adjacent a throat 45 to enclose a rotatable shaft 57 which supports upper and lower wedge-shaped panels 58, 58<SP>1</SP>. The wedgeshaped panels have end-plates 49, 49<SP>1</SP> and partition plates (not shown) which slidably overlap and are housed within the plates 61 and partitions 62 respectively when the panels 58, 58<SP>1</SP> are moved apart to increase the area of the air intake 44. The shafts 57 are rotated in unison in opposite directions by a shaft and gearing driven by a reversible electric motor controlled by the pilot or controlled automatically by means responsive to aircraft speed and air density. Control of boundary layer flow within the ducts is provided by slots 112 in the endplates 61 and partitions 62 and by apertures 114 in the plates 49, 49<SP>1</SP>, which apertures are exposed when the wedge-shaped panels are opened. Adjustable control of the flow over the surfaces 109<SP>1</SP> is provided by apertures 116 which are masked or exposed by a slidable apertured plate 117 operated manually or by a motor-controlled by apparatus responsive to the position of the shock-wave within the diffuser. The air drawn away may be used to cool engine parts. The power plant comprises adjacent compartments housing a ram-jet 41<SP>1</SP> and a turbojet 41<SP>11</SP> and hinged valves 80<SP>1</SP> are moved by a motor 82 from positions A at takeoff when the turbo-jet is operating to positions B when the aircraft has reached an adequate flying speed for the ram-jet to be operated. It is stated that addition fuel may be stored in the ram-jet casing to be supplied to the turbojet during take-off. Outboard of the ramjetturbojet unit are other power units 41<SP>111</SP> provided with flap valve units 88 which when in position C enable each unit to operate as a pulse jet and when moved by a motor 90 to position D then allow unobstructed operation of the unit as a ram-jet.